


Paper Thin

by boomerluke



Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band)
Genre: 5SOS - Freeform, Ashton is in an open relationship, Blind Michael, Bottom Luke, Calum is a pansexual hoe, Fluff and Smut, Love at First Sound, Luke is Michael's biggest fan, M/M, Michael falls in love with Luke through the wall, Michael listens to Luke read, Muke - Freeform, Muke Clemmings, Top Michael, a hint of cashton, all fluff, author michael, bookworm luke, implied cake, lukexmichael, slight fem luke, so obviously they get together, this will give you a cavity
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-07
Updated: 2021-01-17
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:28:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 16,281
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25135402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/boomerluke/pseuds/boomerluke
Summary: "Aren't you glad these walls are paper thin?""Yeah, otherwise I wouldn't know how beautiful you are."Or the one where Luke likes to read his favorite mystery books aloud and Michael likes to listen to his new neighbor read the books that he wrote through the wall.Blind!MichaelAuthor!MichaelBookworm!Luke
Relationships: Calum Hood/Ashton Irwin, Luke Hemmings/Calum Hood, Michael Clifford/Luke Hemmings
Comments: 13
Kudos: 59





	1. safety

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to my first Muke fic! :) This story is still in the works so I will update it when I can xoxo

_**PART ONE:** _

_**NEW BEGINNINGS** _

**_Luke_ **

Calum huffed as he dropped the cardboard box in the middle of the living room. "Man, do I need a beer." The tanned boy threw himself down on the beat-up couch, wiping away the small bit of sweat along his hairline.

"You moved like four boxes." Luke rolled his eyes as he maneuvered his way through the door, arms full of moving boxes. He sighed, shaking out his poor arms that had been weighed down all afternoon.

"Yeah, but I moved the biggest boxes! Your books are heavy as hell, I should be getting extra best friend points for lugging those up four flights of stairs!" Calum argued as Luke sat down beside him. Calum fell into the taller boy's side. Luke sighed as he threw his arm around his friend and scanned the boxes that littered the floor.

Calum wasn't wrong. Luke's book collection was immense, and out of the fifteen or so boxes that spanned his living room, at least six of them were books. His foster mom had asked him multiple times if he was sure he wanted to bring them all, but Luke was adamant; it wouldn't be home without them.

"What happened to 'I can bench 220'?" Luke dropped his voice into his best impression of his best friend, and the Maori boy shoved him in the side.

"Oh, shut up." Calum grumbled into Luke's shoulder as the blonde laughed, pulling away so that he could tie up his hair. Luke ran his fingers through sweat tangled curls before pulling it all up in a bun. Of course, move in day was the hottest of the month and his apartment only had an old beat-up air conditioner in the living room window.

Luke found it hard to complain though, now that he was sitting on his _own_ couch in his _own_ apartment, he felt relief he hadn't in months. It wasn't anything fancy, a simple studio apartment on the far south side of Chicago, but it was _his._ All 645 square feet of it. Sure, the apartment building wasn't in the best part of town, and yeah, maybe there wasn't an elevator or hot water after 11 pm, but it was perfect for Luke.

Just as quickly as the peaceful smile appeared on Luke's face, it vanished when his phone buzz in his pocket.

"It's Liam, isn't it?" Calum peered over Luke's shoulder as the blonde glanced at the cracked screen. His heart sank.

Calum's question was answered by the words _Unknown Number_.

"fucking dick." Calum mumbled as Luke stuffed his phone back in his pocket. "Dude get a new number. How often does he call?"

Luke bit at his thumbnail.

"Luke," Calum grabbed Luke's chin and turned the younger boy so that he was looking into the large brown eyes of his best friend. "I can't help you if you're not honest with me."

Luke stood up and walked over towards the window. He didn't want Calum to see the panic written on his face. His heart was pounding after the call and he could feel the adrenaline seeping into his skin.

"Almost every day." Luke mumbled, but Calum still heard it.

" _Every day?_ Shit, Luke..."

Luke turned to see his best friend with his head held in his hands.

"It's okay, Cal."

"No Luke, it's not fucking ok!"

He cowered back at the biting tone and Calum sighed.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to raise my voice," Calum reached out towards Luke and hesitantly grabbed both of his wrists, pulling the boy back to sit next to him. "you know I can't help it when it comes to that asshole."

Luke fiddled with his fingers that were still held between Calum's large palms. One of Calum's hands moved to rub over the back of Luke's neck and down his arm.

"How are you really feeling about all this, Luke?"

"I'm..." Luke took a moment to think about it. How _was_ he feeling?

"I'm not okay, Cal." He finally settled with. A lump began to form in his throat and hot tears burned behind his eyelids.

"Hell Lu, of course you're not." Cal sighed, pulling Luke in so that their foreheads were pressed together. "No one expects you to be. But you're safe now, okay?"

Luke's heart rate began to settle as Calum's thumb rubbed circles into the dip of his collarbone. They were silent for a moment as Luke took deep breaths to calm down. He focused on the movement of Calum's fingers across his skin.

"I'm sorry," He whispered. Calum clucked his tongue.

"Don't you dare apologize."

Luke twitched as Calum's thumb glided over the jagged scar that peaked out of his collar.

"I'm the one that should apologize."

"Cal, no-"

" _Yes."_ Calum pressed down against the scar and Luke yelped. The Maori boy apologized before pulling Luke into his lap. "I should have been there." The words were a whisper against Luke's skin.

"Can we please change the subject?" Luke bit at the skin around his thumb. It was red and raw. A good distraction.

The sigh that left Calum's lips was heavy. "You promise to tell me the next time he calls?"

"Yeah, okay." Calum burrowed his head into the blonde's neck. He kissed the puckered scar before pressing a kiss to the underside of Luke's jaw.

"Then yes, we can change the subject."

Luke relaxed against Calum and intertwined their fingers in his lap.

"So, are you gonna buy me dinner?"

Luke laughed as he ruffled Calum's hair. "Pizza or Thai?"

Calum's face screwed up as he considered the option. "Connie's?"

"Where else?" Luke reached out and fist bumped the kiwi boy.

"Okay, you order, and I'll run to the 7-Eleven." Calum lifted Luke from his lap and stood.

"So, I take it you finally got the new fake?" Luke asked as he got comfortable on the couch.

Calum patted his pocket. "Arrived this morning! Wish me luck, Sweet Cheeks." Calum squeezed Luke's thigh as he walked by to grab his keys off of the kitchen counter.

As the door closed behind Calum, Luke took some time to soak in the moment. This was his first time sitting alone in his apartment. It still made him giddy to think about; _his own apartment._ The smile that hadn't left Luke's lips since he woke up spread even wider, and he stretched out across the couch. The springs dug into Luke's back and the stains on the cushions were questionable, but to Luke it still felt like the most comfortable couch in the world.

As Luke let himself relax for the first time that day, he took in his new home. Cigarette smoke clung to the carpet. There was a fist shaped hole in the wall outside of the bathroom, and an unfinished vent in the living room. But none of it mattered, because he officially had his own apartment. After two years, he finally had a place of his own where he felt _safe._

With a sigh, Luke pulled himself off of the couch and scrolled through his phone for the number of their favorite pizzeria. After ordering a large pizza (half meat lovers for Luke and half veggie for Cal) Luke decided he should begin the lengthy process of unpacking.

He started with his books. Excitement rippled through him as he opened up the first box and caught sight of some of his favorites. As if he was handling fine china, Luke plucked each book from the box. He didn't have any actual bookshelves yet; he'd have to make a run to Target with his next paycheck. Until then he was perfectly content placing them neatly in the corner of the room, away from all water, food, or anything Calum could spill on them.

Luke felt the same happiness from earlier wash over him as he removed his classic novels from the second box. He was especially careful as he handled the old spines. His copy of Wuthering Heights was practically busting apart at the seams, but no matter how many new copies Calum tried to buy him, he refused to toss it out. Each book held a memory for him.

After organizing his Nabokov collection, Luke opened up the third box of books to find his favorite mystery novels. While the blonde loved all genres of books, he was a sucker for a good thriller. Nothing got his blood pumping like an M.G May novel. He didn't know what it was about the books that drew him in. Maybe it was the vibrant, and often graphic, details or the fact that the author herself was a complete mystery. Whatever it was, Luke was obsessed. She only had three published books, but Luke knew there was another in the works and he was of course first on the email list for the release date.

Luke made sure to stack those books closest to the couch, knowing that those would be the first books he (re)read in his new apartment. It would be the perfect way to welcome himself home, and suddenly he couldn't wait for tomorrow when he could just lay in bed and read.

"Honey I'm home!" Calum barged through the door with a six pack of Natty Light under his arm.

Luke blew a curl from his eye. "I thought the 7-Eleven was just down the block, where've you been? It's been like..." Luke glanced at his phone, "...20 minutes!"

Calum shrugged as he set the pack down on the kitchenette counter, "ran into your neighbor from across the hall downstairs. Her name's Sierra- super hot by the way." The Maori boy grinned as he popped open a can and guzzled it down.

"Great, I'll keep that in mind for when I turn straight. So, I take it the ID worked then?"

Calum winked as he threw a can to Luke. "Bottom's up, dude."

He tipped his can towards Calum and took a sip.

"Plus, we both know I was referring to her hotness for my own benefit."

Luke rolled his eyes as he went back to reorganizing his books.

"Please don't ruin my relationship with my neighbor before I even get the chance to meet her." Luke was only teasing, but at the same time, he knew how Calum could be when it involved pretty girls. Or pretty boys... pretty people in general, really.

"Relax, Lu," Calum made his way over to the couch and sprawled out. "She's hot but not my type."

"Not your type?" Luke's eyebrows shot up. "Since when do you have a type?"

Luke watched the blush climb Calum's neck and the kiwi boy turned his gaze down to the bottle tab on his beer can.

"I've always had a type." He mumbled before looking back up at the blonde. "So, did you order the pizzas yet or what?"

"I know you're just trying to change the subject and I'll allow it for now because I'm too exhausted to even ask. But to answer your question, yes." Luke laughed, freezing at the sound of a knock at the door. Suddenly he realized a major flaw in his independence plan.

"C-Calum can you-"

"Don't even ask, Lu." Calum made his way to the door and Luke released the breath he'd been holding.

Calum paid for the pizzas with a few crumbled bills, telling the young worker to keep the change as he closed the door. Luke dug through the nearest box before reaching for the next.

"Cal which box did you pack my laptop in?"

Calum walked back into the living room, placing the pizzas on the coffee table. "Not in a box, it's in your backpack. Why?"

Luke huffed as he pulled his beat-up laptop from the backpack in the corner. He entered the password he had created so many years ago (lukecalum1996) and navigated towards the piracy site the boys lived off of.

"Well do you expect us to just sit in silence while we eat?"

Calum sat down and began eating. "Whatever just pick something good. Last time you picked the movie I ended up crying."

Luke sat down beside Calum, the opening credits of a movie already starting as he cuddled into the tan boy's side. Calum threw his arm around his younger friend and pulled him into his side.

"How was I supposed to know it was going to be sad?"

"Luke! It was literally about a kidnapped woman and her child living in a room! Are you fucking kidding me?"

Just as Luke went to respond, a shuffling and bang from the other side of the wall echoed through the unfinished vent. They both jumped at the sudden noise.

"Jesus, can you hear everything through that vent? Dude, how are you supposed to get laid knowing your neighbor can hear everything?" A wicked smirk appeared on Calum's lips and he turned towards the wall. "Hey neighbor!" He knocked twice on the wall, "Just want to apologize ahead of time for my friend, he's a screamer!" The shuffling on the other side of the wall stopped. Luke was mortified.

"Calum, shut up!" Luke smacked his hand over Calum's mouth. A deep blush made its way over every inch of his skin. "I haven't even met my neighbor yet! Oh my god, they're going to hate me now." Luke groaned as he threw himself back against the couch, letting his hands slap over his face.

"Oh, stop it, I was clearly joking," Calum wrapped his arms around Luke and nuzzled his face into his chest. "we all know you're a biter anyways."

"Calum! You said you'd stop bringing that up." The blush on Luke's face reddened if that was even possible, and the kiwi boy kissed the side of his head.

"Oh please, we all know I'm never going to let you live that down. I still have a scar on my shoulder from that night."

Luke remembered that night. Calum wasn't the only one that ended up with a scar once Liam had found out about it.

"Stop being such a baby, no you don't."

"Shh, it's starting."

Luke rolled his eyes, but settled into the couch anyways, pizza in one hand and the other settled around Calum's waist. He couldn't help but love how domestic it felt; to be sitting in his living room eating dinner with his best friend. A smile curled on Luke's lips as he cuddled into Calum's side.

At first Luke didn't recognize the feeling in his chest. He couldn't put his finger on the bubbling warmth that started in his stomach and radiated up through every inch of his body. But as Luke's eyelids grew heavy and he began falling asleep on Calum's shoulder with relative ease, he realized what that feeling was: _safety_.


	2. recluse

**_Michael_ **

_It was half past two in the morning when Juliet's car finally pulled into the driveway, warm yellow headlights illuminating the otherwise shadowed room that Nathan slept in. She thought he wouldn't notice as she toed off her shoes and climbed into bed next to him, but he did. And even though she tried to hide it, he knew where she had been...._

Michael groaned as he listened to the screen display voice of his computer playback the paragraph he had just written. He'd been working on the same three sentences for what felt like hours, and no matter how many times he changed it, it was never right.

"Honey, I'm home- _ow!_ "

He rolled his eyes as his best friend entered the apartment.

"Why is there a box here?"

Michael suppressed a laugh. He could tell Ashton was standing in front of him with his arms crossed. He was always hyper dramatic, especially after Michael's accident. Even though Michael couldn't see Ashton's attitude, he could definitely hear it.

"It's from Collins. Where else would I put it?"

Ashton huffed, and Michael listened on as he folded up the pull-out couch.

Michael's apartment consisted of a single living space with a pullout couch, computer desk, a bathroom, and a small kitchenette that was primarily used by Ashton. It was perfect for Michael. After nearly three years living in the small space, he could now maneuver around without Ashton's help.

"I don't know, maybe not in front of the door?"

"Once again I'm gonna play the blind card on that."

Michael grinned; he knew his best friend was rolling his eyes.

"You're taking advantage of me with that blind shit, you play that card every day!"

Michael leaned back in his computer chair.

"Not my fault it's relevant every day."

"Whatever you hermit," Ashton sighed, "so, someone finally rented the apartment next to you? There are some empty boxes in the hallway."

Michael shrugged as he stood up and took ten steps to the right. He reached out his left hand, trailing it along the kitchenette countertop until he reached his cup of tea. It wasn't warm anymore, but he didn't mind. He gulped down half of the cup before leaning back against the counter.

"Yeah, I heard some noise yesterday, but by the time we came back from dinner I think they were sleeping. Thank god the new neighbor seems quiet." Michael was sure that he wasn't the only one cringing at the memory of his old neighbor Ms. Krenshaw and her Saturday night _dates_. "As someone who has a heightened sense of hearing, all I can say is that literally _anyone_ will be a better neighbor."

"But what if it's some mega douche? Like the kind that does those loud ass Pilates videos in the morning?"

"Ash, _you_ do those loud ass Pilates videos in the morning."

"So? I'm not your neighbor."

Michael laughed as he turned to the left and took the nine steps to sit down on the couch. "And thank god for that," Ashton punched him in the arm as Michael settled next to him, "you know I don't wake up before eleven."

"Maybe you could if you weren't staying up until four writing."

Michael shrugged, "What can I say? I do my best writing after midnight."

Michael heard the sound of plastic crinkling. His eyebrows furrowed as he tried to decipher what the sound was.

"Are you eating chips?"

"No, it's dried mango, want some?" Michael made a face and pushed the bag away from him.

"I think I'll pass."

"You know it wouldn't kill you to eat something, I don't know, healthy?"

Michael's head fell against his best friend's shoulder.

"I don't know, it just might." He reached up and let his hands roam around Ashton's face. It had been awhile since he'd taken the time to do this. His fingertips grazed over the rough stubble lined jaw and the old acne scars along his cheeks. His left-hand drifted to feel his earrings.

"You got another piercing?"

Ashton nodded. "Yeah, I let Kay do it last weekend."

"Do you think she'd do another for me?"

"I don't see why not. I can bring her over for dinner Friday."

Michael continued to run his hand up and over Ashton's ear. "Yeah that works for me..." He paused as his fingers touched Ashton's curls. "did you dye your hair?"

"How the hell can you tell that?"

Michael pulled at Ashton's crunchy hair. "Your hair is fried dude; you clearly didn't use conditioner."

Ashton batted Michael's hands away. "Whatever. Did you get any chapters done today?"

Movement next to him alerted Michael of Ashton's plan.

"Hey! You know the rules! No reading until I finish."

He huffed and Michael felt the couch dip as he sat back down. "Alright, alright. Did you at least get anything productive done?"

Michael threw his head back against the top of the couch. "Not yet, no. I've tried to write this fight between Nate and Juliet like ten different ways and I can't get it right."

"Well, maybe you just need a new source of inspiration."

"Easier said than done, my friend."

"When's the last time you went on a date?"

Michael threw his head back and laughed. "Seriously?"

"What? Maybe meeting someone will open up new creative pathways or some shit like that."

He rolled his eyes. Every few weeks Ashton made it his mission to try and get Michael to go out with him and his partner, Kay. But at the end of the night, the non-exclusive couple always ended up going home with new people and Michael was left to uber back to his apartment alone.

"Look, Ash, there aren't exactly guys throwing themselves at me."

"But you know they would be if you just gave into Collins and actually- "

"Absolutely not." Michael stood up and walked eight steps to his desk.

"It's just a couple interviews, Mike, I don't see the harm in it."

"I'm just not comfortable putting myself out there like that, Ash. Especially considering the circumstances..."

"You can't keep closing yourself off, Mike. I won't let you. I know I joke about it, but I really do worry about you. As it is you only leave the apartment if me or Si drags you out! What's the harm in opening up a little bit?"

Michael dropped his arm down onto the desk, resting his head in the palm of his hand. He knew Ashton had a point. He was headed down a dark and lonely road if he kept this up, but he couldn't help it. Letting the world know who he was honest to god scared the piss out of him. How was he supposed to put himself out there and be vulnerable when he couldn't protect himself?

"Look, a couple years ago maybe but..."

"Nope. Nuh-uh, you can't play the blind card twice in one day I won't let you." The teasing tone in Ashton's voice made Michael snort. His friend was done with the lecture for the day. As mature and serious as Ashton pretended to be, he didn't handle emotional conflict well.

"Okay, okay," Michael turned and started typing once again.

"Man, I don't know how you do it. I can't type to save my life when I'm staring at my hands."

"I was able to type blindfolded even before I went blind, it's not a superpower."

Before Ashton could respond there came a shuffling from the other side of the wall.

"Oh shit, you think that's the new neighbor?" Ashton whisper-yelled across the room.

"Why are you whispering?"

"Because they might be able to hear me through that vent!" Michael knew Ashton was looking at the unfinished vent next to his couch.

A low mumbling came from the other side of the wall. Two guys were arguing.

"My point exactly."

Michael scoffed but found himself just as intrigued by the voices. Not much could be heard, just the shuffling of boxes and the occasional low mumble. A door opened and slammed shut, the occupants going to get more boxes.

"Do you think it's a gay couple?"

"Living in a studio apartment? I doubt it."

Michael heard the couch springs screech as he stood. "Go over and introduce yourself tomorrow, yeah? I gotta head out, we're taking Kay's sister for drinks. You want the bed pulled out?"

Michael nodded as he typed, finding his groove as he rewrote the paragraph he'd been working on most of the afternoon. The couch springs wheezed as Ashton made up Michael's bed. "Thanks Ash," Michael smiled as his friend's hand clamped down on his shoulder.

"No problem, Mike. See you tomorrow?"

"See you."

Ashton's heavy Docs trudged across the floor before the front door opened and closed. The muffled shuffling and scuffing of boxes could still be heard through the vent, and Michael tried to tune it out as much as he could to concentrate on his writing. He wasn't sure how long he sat there reworking the same words before he gave up and saved his work for the day.

Michael asked Siri for the time: 7:17pm. It was nearly time for Sierra to come get him for dinner, so he decided to move the box from in front of the door. He bent down to pick up the box but paused as he heard a muffled voice through the busted vent on the wall.

_"Goddamnit, Lu!"_

Michael's interest piqued at the angry voice. Against his better judgement, Michael took a seat next to the vent. He was never much of a snoop before losing his vision. After losing his sight however, writing scenes became harder when he couldn't see, and so hearing became his best friend. His best inspiration often came when he was out to eat with Ashton or Si. He didn't mean to eavesdrop, sometimes he just couldn't help it.

There was a murmured response too low for Michael to hear. It sounded like the other person was speaking through a blanket.

_"What did the creep say to you this time?"_

Again, a muffled response. Michael wanted to groan in frustration. This sounded just like the conversation he imagined between Nate and Juliet. He just wished he could hear the other half of it. He needed to hear it. Maybe then he could finish the damn chapter.

 _"Shh, it's okay. You know I won't let him anywhere near you... But, Lu..."_ The voice hesitated and Michael leaned in closer, clinging to every word. Michael stretched his leg out, accidentally kicking the box into the wall with a loud thud. He cursed. The conversation on the other side of the wall paused.

 _"Never mind. How about you start up FIFA and I make us some popcorn?"_ The tone of the speaker shifted drastically, no longer serious and instead soft and caring. Michael sighed. So much for finding inspiration for his story. The second voice mumbled a response before there was some shuffling on the other end.

_"Hey, I see you overthinking, cut it out."_

There was a loud 'thump' followed by a loud squeal.

 _"Calum, s-stop, please!"_ The second voice giggled, and Michael's heart stuttered. He never knew a voice could be so attractive.

Sure, he'd only heard three words, but it was like a warm drizzle of honey in tea. The shrill laugh alone was enough to send Michael's thoughts spiraling. God, he hoped that voice belonged to his new neighbor.

Before Michael could hear what the beautiful voice said next, Sierra knocked on his door. With reluctance, Michael went to dinner with his friend. He pretended to be engaged in the conversation with Sierra, but he couldn't stop his mind from wandering back to that sweet voice. He wondered what his neighbor looked like. God, he wished he could see him. Michael tried to picture the pretty boy with the pretty voice. But the more he imagined, the more he wanted to hear him again.

His mind continued to drift back to the soft voice all throughout dinner. And by the time he returned to his apartment, Michael realized that maybe, _just maybe_ , he wouldn't mind the paper-thin walls anymore.


	3. alone

**_Luke_ **

Even though Luke spent most of the night tossing and turning, he woke up with more energy than he had in years. Three years to be exact. He skipped through his morning routine, humming along to the radio as he showered. He got dressed in his usual black dress pants and white button down, styling his long curls so they draped around his face.

Luke's eyes bugged out as he checked the time. He only had thirty minutes to get to work. It was a twenty-minute train ride. Scrambling around his apartment for his backpack and a banana, Luke rushed out. He barely remembered to lock the door. Even as he ran for the train, the smile never left Luke's face. Twenty-five minutes later, Luke arrived at the spa, out of breath and slightly sweaty.

"Woah, someone's had quite the morning." Luke's boss Lauraline laughed as he bent over the reception, panting.

"S-sorry, moved into the new place this weekend and I underestimated the distance." Luke threw his backpack under the reception desk and took a seat in his chair.

"I completely forgot! How's the new place looking, Baby doll?" Luke loved Lauraline. The middle-aged woman everyone knew as Mama Lo measured in at a whopping 5'1" and 100 pounds sopping wet. But what she lacked in size she most certainly made up for in personality. A tiny blonde firecracker with deep blue eyes, and the biggest mouth Luke had ever seen. She was the perfect boss; kind and caring with a splash of playful sass.

Luke shrugged, "Well you know, it's on the South Side so how nice can it be, really, but it's all mine, Mama." Luke was sure his smile was contagious as Lauraline grinned, leaning down to engulf the much larger boy in a tight squeeze.

"I'm so proud of you, Sweets. I can't wait to come visit!"

Luke hugged her back before reclining in his seat, "Only if you bring a pan of those lemon bars."

Lauraline laughed as she patted his cheek, "Those were always your favorite, weren't they? I'll stop by Sunday morning after my spin class. Now, Mrs. Shreiber needs to change her 3 p.m. hot stone massage with Nora to the 3:30 with Katya, can you make sure to put that in for me?"

Luke nodded and got straight to work, logging into the system and making the change.

"Beautiful, thank you," Lauraline ruffled his hair as he pressed submit on the form."Now, get that pageant smile on your face, first appointments begin in ten and we've got a full house today."

Luke groaned, his head hitting the desk as Lauraline left the room. A full house meant at least five unreasonable complaints. Even though Luke was running on sunshine and smiles this morning, he was still tired. It was going to be a long day.

After a full eight hours of complaining housewives, Luke's face hurt from smiling. His brain was fried. Luke loved his job, he really did. He loved being around people and making them smile, but after a shift like today, he was ready to never talk to anyone ever again. All Luke wanted was a peaceful train ride back to his apartment and to fall into bed. So, when Luke's phone started blaring _Under Pressure_ , he groaned.

"Hi, Ma." Luke forced a smile as he put the phone up to his ear.

"Hi, Baby!" Hearing his foster mom's voice made his tense shoulders relax. "How was work?"

"Brutal. Mrs. Kria flipped on me again and I was about two seconds away from bursting into tears." Luke exited the train and began walking the five blocks to his apartment.

"Luke, what did I tell you about letting her talk to you that way? Did you tell your boss?"

Luke pushed a stray curl behind his ear. "I don't wanna bother her with it," He kicked a pebble and watched it bounce into the road, "It's stupid. I shouldn't even get worked up over it. I'm such a fucking pussy."

"Lucas! What did I tell you about using that sort of language with me?"

Luke cringed.

"Sorry, Ma."

"You should be. There's nothing wrong with being emotional, hon."

Luke twirled his keys around his finger as he neared his building.

"Yeah, I suppose."

"So, how's the apartment?"

Luke grinned as he told his mom about moving in and his first night in his new home. He talked and talked, not sparing a single detail. He missed this. Sure, it had only been a couple days, but he already missed coming home to the hectic Hemmings household. Every day after school he'd find his mom waiting to hear about his day with cups of hot chocolate and a smile on her face. He missed having to yell over the younger kids who were running around. He missed the chaos.

"I'm so proud, Baby. I'm sorry we couldn't help with the move; Andy couldn't get off work and you know I can't leave the kids-"

"It's okay, Ma." Luke fiddled with his keys. "I know you wanted to. Thanks for the mattress topper by the way. Works like a charm."

Luke jogged up the stairs of his complex as his mom updated him on everyone: Ben announced he was seeing someone new, Jack is the same as always, Liliyah and Geoffe decided to run against each other for student body president, and Cherish and Tyreese were excited to pick out new backpacks this year.

"So, Luke,"

He knew that tone. His stomach sank as he heard her sigh on the other end. This was the last conversation Luke wanted to have right now.

"You haven't heard from Liam, have you?"

Luke bit his lip. He hated lying to his mom.

"I, no... I haven't."

She let out a breath and Luke's stomach twisted in guilt. He didn't want to lie to her, he just didn't want her to worry. She had enough on her plate.

"Good. You know if he tries to contact you again-"

"I know, Ma." He cut her off as he opened his front door. He should be grateful that his foster mom cared enough to worry. He didn't mean to be rude, but he was sick of having this conversation. Moving into his new apartment was supposed to be a new beginning, an escape.

"I can't help but worry, Lu, especially now that you're living alone."

Luke didn't want her to know that he was worried about the same thing. The scar along his neck burned at the memory of what happened last time he was left alone.

"I'm okay, Ma. I promise. I'll be okay."

He wasn't sure who he was trying to reassure anymore. Liz hummed and Luke could hear Liliyah and Geoffe arguing in the background.

"So, any cute boys in your building?"

"Ma!" Luke laughed as he tossed his backpack to the floor.

"What? I was just asking."

Luke threw his body down on the bed and sprawled out. "Well thanks for asking, but I haven't met anyone in the building yet, let alone any cute boys." Luke could feel the blush rushing up his neck.

"Okay, well, go meet your neighbors, will you? Lord knows you could use some friends besides Calum."

Luke couldn't help but laugh. He knew his mom loved Calum, even if she was hard pressed to admit it. "Okay, Ma. I'll try. I gotta go, talk to you later?"

After saying their goodbyes, Luke hung up the phone and scrolled through a list of local restaurants. He knew he'd eventually have to go to the store, but the last thing he wanted to do tonight was cook. So Indian food it would be.

Luke placed an order for chicken tikka masala before changing into his pajamas and cuddling up on his bed. He had yet to set up the internet or cable for his small dorm sized television, and his small iPod Shuffle was still packed away. Luke laid on his back, twiddling his thumbs. This would usually be the time he called Calum to hang out, but it was a Monday and he knew Calum was working a double shift at the ice rink.

He wasn't used to this level of quiet. The ringing silence was unnerving, reminding him once again that he was utterly and completely _alone_. Luke didn't like the thoughts that crept in when he was alone. He was once again reminded of Liam's cruel parting words: Luke was alone, and he always would be.

The silence was screaming. Blood pounded in Luke's ears as his thoughts began to spin. He knew this feeling. In a matter of minutes Luke would begin spiraling into a panic attack. Did the doorknob rattle? Luke could have sworn the doorknob rattled. Liam's voice wrapped around Luke's mind, his biting words digging into his skin like the edge of his pocketknife. The scar across Luke's neck itched. He needed to ground his thoughts.

From the corner of his eye, Luke spotted the familiar hardcover of his favorite book. Luke gasped for breath as he lunged for it, snatching it up. He loved the weight of it in his hands. His breathing evened out as he held the book, letting his fingers run over the glossy cover. He closed his eyes, savoring the feeling under his skin. All thoughts of Liam slipped away as he concentrated on the book in his lap. Almost every page was creased and nicked from the amount of times it had been read and reread, but it was perfect to Luke.

"Hello beautiful," The tension in Luke's shoulders slipped away after a couple minutes, and he took in a final, grounding breath. Luke pulled on his glasses and started to read as he waited for his food, but the silence made it hard to concentrate. He wasn't used to reading without his foster siblings making noise in the background. He threw his head back, wincing as it bounced off of the wall. He was ready to give up, ready to just slam the book closed and succumb to an evening of solitary boredom and paranoid thoughts, but he decided to give it one more try. Maybe reading out loud would help? He'd loved reading the book to Liliyah. Of course, she always had bad dreams afterwards and he'd get a stern talking to from Liz each morning, but then Liliyah would be back begging him again each night to continue. A smile tucked in the corners of Luke's lips as he opened up the book.

" _Juliet's foot tapped anxiously against the tile, head running wild with thoughts of the Justine Morris case. For the life of her, Juliet just couldn't wrap her head around_ why. Why _would someone do something like that?_ How _could they do that, and to a girl no older than twenty at that... The thought sent a shiver down Juliet's spine._

_'You're thinking too hard.' Nathan's voice broke through Juliet's noisy thoughts, and even though she wasn't looking at him, she could hear the smirk in his voice. She rolled her eyes..."_

A tapping on the wall startled the blonde. The book fell out of his hands and toppled to the floor with a thud. His heart race skyrocketed before he realized the noise came from his neighbor's apartment. Luke expected his neighbor to reprimand him for reading out loud, to tell him to shut up, or something like that. But it never came. Luke waited for the person on the other side to talk, but there was radio silence. Maybe it was an accident?

Luke went back to reading.

"' _And you think too little.' Juliet scoffed, as she turned around to face the agent. Her eyes roamed over him, her lip twisting in disdain at his Van Gogh inspired tie. 'What are you doing here, anyway? I thought you were supposed to be at the M.E's office.'_

 _Nathan shrugged, his hands pushing into the pockets of his dress pants. Juliet hated how casual he always was._ "

Another tap on the wall interrupted his reading. Luke waited, but nothing happened.

"I'm sorry," Luke wrung his hands. He's lived here less than a week and he's already annoyed his neighbor "is my reading bothering you?"

There was a pause.

Then a soft voice, "I always thought Nathan was a bit of a snob, honestly."

That was not the response Luke expected.

"W-what?"

"I mean, the way he ignored Juliet for the whole first week they worked together? And then left her out of the loop with the tooth necklace- shit, am I spoiling the book for you? Fuck, I'm sorry..."

The voice started off so strong before fading into a quiet panic. Luke couldn't help but laugh. The voice was sweet, and Luke found himself smiling as he leaned closer to the wall.

"No, I've read the book like a million times!"

There was a pause in which Luke bit his lip.

"You have?"

"It's my favorite book! I'm honestly surprised you recognized it. Are you an M.G May fan too?" Luke pulled his knees up to his chest.

"Something like that."

"My name's Luke, what's yours?" Luke felt like a child trying to make a new friend on the playground. His cheeks reddened and he pulled his knees up to his chest.

"M'name's Michael."

"Michael," Luke tested the name on his lips. It definitely fit the voice. "I like it."

There was a pause on the other side of the wall and Michael cleared his throat.

"So, Luke, are you going to finish the chapter?"

Luke pushed his reading glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"I don't wanna bother you, you've already read it, I can just read to myself-"

"No!" Michael cleared his throat. "I mean, no, I uh, I like listening to you read it."

Luke fiddled with the book pages. He tried to ignore the giddy feeling that ran through his body at Michael's words. It was the same feeling he had when he met Liam. His gut twisted at the thought. "Really?"

"Really."

"Okay," Luke cleared his throat as he found the page he had left off on, "where was I..."

And that's how Luke spent the rest of his night: a box of cold Indian food on the nightstand and uncomfortable butterflies in his stomach as he read to his new neighbor, Michael. And for the first time in months, Luke fell asleep without any thoughts of Liam in his head. 


	4. jealousy

**_Michael_ **

Michael woke up the next day with a pounding headache and heavy eyelids. He spent the whole night listening to Lukeread _his_ novel, occasionally cutting in to give his opinion. It was pretty stupid since Michael _wrote_ the damn book, but he couldn't help it. He wanted to hear Luke giggle and tell him that he was _absolutely wrong_ , that Nathan and Juliet definitely did belong together. So, after staying up until 3am to listen to Luke read the 14th chapter, Michael was exhausted.

"You're a mess this morning." Ashton complimented as they sat in their usual booth at the Sweet Diner. Michael wasn't a morning person, but Ashton was, and once a week he forced Michael to breakfast at the crack of dawn.

"I know," Michael moved his coffee cup to the right and laid his head down on his arms, "spent the night talking with my new neighbor."

Ashton's spoon clattered to the table. "No shit? You actually went over there? Wait, who am I kidding, he came to introduce himself?"

Michael sat up and fixed his sunglasses, "No. We talked through that vent." He felt around on the tabletop for his cup.

Reaching for the pot of coffee, he topped off his drink. The burning sting to the tip of his index finger alerted him that he'd filled it to the brim. Ashton laughed and thanked the waitress as she set down their plates.

"Wait, you're being serious?"

Michael frowned. "Yes." He felt around for his fork and dug into his waffles.

"Only you would meet your new neighbor through an unfinished vent in the wall." His best friend snorted, and a fork scraped against a plate. "So, what's he like?" Ashton needed to learn to chew before he spoke.

Michael thought about the soft rasp of Luke's voice and he couldn't help but smile.

"He's pretty cool,"

Ashton knew Michael better than that, and he told him so.

"Please. What's he really like?"

"I told you, he seems like a cool guy."

Ashton scoffed, and Michael cringed as he felt a few crumbs of half chewed pancake splatter across his face.

"Ew, Ash, seriously, ever heard of _say it not spray it_?"

"Whatever, stop ignoring the question."

Michael popped a piece of waffle into his mouth. He chewed. What was Luke really like? The words flew out of his mouth.

"He's... perfect."

Michael heard Ashton splutter as he choked on his green juice. "Woah, wait what?"

He laughed, dipping a bit of waffle in some boysenberry syrup. "Ok, that's an exaggeration. But god, he's beautiful."

"You can't even see him!"

Michael scoffed, balling up his napkin and throwing it in Ashton's direction. "I can hear it, jerk!"

"But what if he ends up being super ugly though?"

Michael rolled his eyes as he finished up his waffle. "He's not, I can tell. No one with a voice like that could be. And even if he was, I'll never see." Michael shrugged as he finished off his coffee.

"Okay, fair point. So, what did you two talk about all night?"

"He's uh," Michael cleared his throat, "he's a fan."

"A fan of wha- _oh shit,_ actually?"

Michael played with the straw in his glass of apple juice. "Yeah, that's how we started talking actually?"

"You mean you told him?" Michael could hear the shock in his friend's voice. Besides Ashton, the only other people that knew about his pseudonym was his mom, dad, and Sierra. That was the way he liked it.

"No, god no," Michael laughed as Ashton helped him out of the booth and they began the walk back to his apartment. "He was reading _Mayfire Dawn_ out loud and I could hear it through the vent. It caught me off guard... I don't know, I guess I just panicked, and I knocked on the wall and... yeah," Michael shrugged as Ashton held the front door.

"Wait, you mean _you_ started the conversation? Who are you and what have you done with my best friend?" Ashton joked as he guided Michael down the street and back to his apartment building.

"Ha-ha, you're so fucking funny. Anyways, he was reading it and I just couldn't help it, I wanted to hear his voice talking to _me,_ so I just knocked on the wall and we ended up talking most of the night..."

"Aw, does Mikey have a crush?" Ashton joked as they made their way up the four flights of stairs and to his front door.

Michael unlocked his door and pushed it open. "A crush? I'm twenty-four, Ash, not seven. And don't call me Mikey, you know I hate that."

"So? C'mon, Mike, I haven't seen you this giddy over a guy since that soccer player back in high school."

Michael rolled his eyes as made his way to the pull-out bed.

"Well, that was my past life."

"Absolutely not. You're not pulling that _past life_ shit on me over a guy. You only get to play the blind card once a day and it's not even 10 am. Now, stand up and let me fix your bed."

Michael laughed and moved over to his desk as Ashton made the bed into a sofa.

"So, what did you learn about him?"

Michael shrugged as he leaned back in his chair. "His name is Luke, he's 19 and he works at that spa over on 2nd and Main. That's all I got though, we spent most of the time talking about the book."

"So, another book club with the cute neighbor tonight?"

Michael's computer booted up and he opened up Word. "We'll see... I don't know if he even wants to... I mean, it's whatever, I have to write anyways so..." Michael wanted to. He really, _really_ wanted to. Should he knock again when Luke gets home from work? Or should he wait until Luke reads again? God, he sounded desperate. And he knew Ashton heard it.

"Bullshit. You're going to spend your whole night chatting it up with that boy and we both know it."

"You're an annoying piece of shit, you know that?"

"Yeah, Kay tells me on the daily. Speaking of, I gotta go meet her at the office. Let me know how your book date goes tonight."

Michael turned in the direction of Ashton's voice and flipped him off. "Whatever, don't come back unless you bring takeout from that Greek restaurant!"

Michael heard the door close behind Ashton and he sighed as he turned back to his computer. After staying up with Luke, he'd found new inspiration for the story, and his fingers flew as he cranked out the last couple pages of the chapter.

Michael got lost in the pages of his novel, enthralled by the scene he was writing. Nathan and Juliet were fighting over a mysterious voicemail left on their answering machine.

Before he knew it, Michael's dinner alarm was going off. He hated having to set a reminder, but sometimes he got so lost in his writing. When neither Ashton nor Sierra are around to stop him, Michael can work through the night without noticing.

He contemplated snoozing the alarm and continuing the scene, but his stomach rumbling made him rethink. With a sigh and a big stretch, Michael went about saving his work and turned the computer off for the night. He usually would keep it on and continue writing after dinner, but a small part of Michael hoped he'd spend his night talking with Luke instead of writing.

After ordering his usual chicken chow mien from Mr. Anongdeth and putting it on Ashton's tab, Michael made his way into the kitchen. He took his time pouring a glass of water, almost spilling it as the door of Luke's apartment slammed shut.

_"For the last time, Calum, no! I will not join your poker game Friday!"_

And there it was. The velvet voice Michael had been craving all day. He listened in as _Calum_ and Luke argued over Friday night plans. While the sound of Luke's voice felt like being wrapped in a heated blanket, he couldn't help but feel jealous as he listened to the couple's quarrel.

He wanted to be the one arguing with Luke over plans. He wanted to hear that voice up close. But more than anything, Michael was jealous that Calum could _see_ Luke. God, did he want to know what Luke looked like. He wasn't a shallow person, he just wanted to picture more than just a tall blonde (Michael was certain Luke was tall and blonde). Was it creepy if Michael asked Luke to describe himself? Probably.

Michael wasn't sure how long he spent drawing up different images of Luke in his mind, but before he knew it, there was a knock on his door. His stomach rumbled at the thought of his takeout.

"Siri, open _Eyenote_." Michael spoke into his phone as he pulled his wallet from his pocket and opened the door. "Hi, I have your tip, just one minute I-"

"Your takeout was delivered to my friend by accident."

Michael recognized the voice as Calum. It was raspy, and he smelled faintly of cigarette smoke and cinnamon. "I'm Calum, by the way."

Michael was about to say _I know._

"I'm Michael. Sorry about the food, they must have a new driver." He scratched the back of his neck as he leaned against the doorway.

"Yeah, I know your name."

He could taste the bitterness in Calum's words. His assumptions about Calum and Luke must have been right. Michael heard a faint popping and the scent of cinnamon grew stronger. He could only assume Calum was chewing gum.

"So, here's your food-"

"Wait, just-" Before Michael could ask Calum to hold on, he felt the bag hit his chest and then land with a _thump_ on the floor.

"Shit dude, are you high or something?"

The color bloomed to Michael's face as he pushed his sunglasses up his nose. He was used to rude comments, but Calum's words held real bite.

"I um, I'm actually kind of..." Michael raised his glasses and pointed to his eyes. He knew it was shocking, the red corneas and clouded irises. Ashton had described it to him in vivid detail.

"Holy shit, I mean, I didn't know, I-" The heat in Calum's voice disappeared.

Michael forced a smile as he put his glasses back on. "It's okay, I'm used to it."

He heard shuffling before the bag of takeout was placed in his hand.

"Here, sorry for being a dick."

Calum's voice was still guarded, but the jealousy was contained. Was Michael no longer seen as a threat? His lip twitched at the thought.

"It's okay, I told you, it's not the first time."

"Okay, well, enjoy your food."

"Thanks, tell Luke I say hi."

There was silence before Calum cursed. "Shit, I was just nodding. Is that insensitive?"

Michael laughed. Under different circumstances, Michael imagined him and Calum being friends.

"Okay, well, I'll catch you later dude. Have a good night, yeah?"

Michael nodded and shut the door. He walked ten steps to the kitchen island and sat down.

He thought about the way Calum's tone changed when he realized Michael was blind. The usual insecurity that came with people finding out the truth grew tenfold. He felt all of two feet tall. Why did he ever think Luke would be interested in him when he had Calum? Good smelling, good looking (Michael could only assume), and non-visually impaired Calum. Michael felt stupid for ever thinking there was, or ever could be, anything between him and the beautiful boy next door.

He listened to Luke's giggle trickle through the vent the rest of the night. The jealousy sizzled hot under his skin and pricked his heart. Michael had never questioned the life he chose to live after his accident; never second thought the walls of seclusion he'd built up. But he'd also never felt as lonely as he did while listening to their laughter.

That night Michael dreamt of a blonde haired, blue eyed angel that laughed at his jokes.


	5. blind

_**Luke** _

It was a long day at the spa, and the last thing Luke wanted was to have this argument with Cal... again. Luke hated Calum's meathead hockey pals, so he'd rather not spend his Friday night fake laughing at sexist jokes when he could be talking to Michael.

_Michael._

His name was enough to send the faintest hint of butterflies fluttering in Luke's stomach, and it terrified him. It had been years since he'd felt this giddy over a boy, and if the mental scars weren't enough to show him how terribly that turned out, the physical ones did the trick.

Luke had never been one to catch feelings quickly, especially after Liam. He promised himself after leaving that he would rather get lost in the fictional relationships of his books than deal with the very real repercussions of nonfictional relationships. He knew the walls he put up around his heart were extreme, but he couldn't help it. The thought of someone leaving him as vulnerable as Liam had terrified him. But Michael was... different. He didn't understand it, but there was something about his new neighbor that pulled Luke in.

"Okay, fine, no poker for you. But you're going to miss Jameson tell the story about the girl that came in looking for a Zamboni ride."

"Oh boy, how will I ever go on with my life?" Luke dropped down onto his bed and threw his arm over his eyes.

"I know that's sarcasm, smart ass, and I'm ignoring it." Calum laid down next to Luke and ran his hand through Luke's curls just the way he liked it. Luke moaned as Calum kissed the junction of his shoulder, kneading at his tense neck. Hell, it took him months to completely warm up to Calum.

"Mm, that feels good," Luke tangled his hand in Calum's hair, and his head rolled to the side. He glanced at his bedside table. "Ya'know, Michael also has more than one copy of _Mayfire Dawn_."

Luke ignored the way Calum rolled his eyes and pulled away from the blonde. "Yeah, Luke, you only sent me 50 voice messages about it." Calum reached over and grabbed the book, leafing through the pages. "how do you know he isn't some creep pretending to like it to get in your pants?"

Luke scoffed as he removed the book from Calum's hand and placed it out of his reach. "Michael's not like that, Cal. Plus, he's obviously read it since he held a whole conversation about it."

Calum huffed and played with Luke's curls again. "Whatever, all I'm saying is there's no way he's as perfect as he seems."

The logical part of Luke's brain knew Calum had a point. It was just a matter of time before Michael showed his true colors. That's how it always went in Luke's experience. He shook his head and cuddled into Calum's side. "I know you're right," Luke sighed, "I guess I was just hoping he'd be different." He shrugged as a blush made its way up his neck.

"Oh my god, you actually like this dude? Luke, you barely know him!"

Luke chose to ignore the hurt disbelief in Calum's voice.

"I know," Luke picked up Calum's much larger hand in his own and traced his fingers.

Calum sighed as he watched Luke's lip twitch. "You know I'm just protective over you, Baby. Promised I wouldn't let anyone else ever hurt you."

Luke looked down at where their fingers were intertwined and nodded.

"Plus, if you run off and get yourself some new boyfriend, who am I supposed to call up when I'm horny at 3 am?"

Calum was clearly done with the serious side of the conversation. Luke rolled his eyes as he shoved Calum's shoulder. "You're the worst, you know that? What happened to bar boy?"

Calum shrugged and went back to playing with Luke's curls. "Nothing happened to him, I'm seeing him again on Thursday."

Luke scoffed. "Then have him get you off!"

"But you already know what I like."

"Sometimes I feel like you're taking advantage of me, you know that?"

Calum rolled his eyes. "Oh, shut it, you love me. What else are best friends for?"

"Unfortunately." Luke fell back down and snuggled into his blankets. "Did you know that Michael has a first edition copy of all three M.G May books?! I'd kill for even one of those."

"Oh my god could you shut up about your crush for like two seconds while I cuddle you?"

Luke knew Calum was trying to joke, but he still felt the underlying hostility of his words.

A knock at the door interrupted their intimate moment. With a groan, Calum stood up to answer the door, not waiting for Luke to ask him. His face was unamused as he took in the man standing in the doorway, a green "Asian Kitchen" hat on.

"Did you order dinner, Lu?"

"No, I-"

"Order for Michael?"

Calum rolled his eyes.

"No, he's next do-"

Luke shoved a couple crinkled dollars in the man's hand and took the bag, slamming the door.

"What the hell was that?" Calum asked, a hint of annoyance in his eye.

"I don't know, I just thought this was perfect, ya'know? What are the odds his food gets delivered to my place on accident? It's like something out of a book!"

"Luke, Baby," Calum laid his hand on Luke's shoulder, "this is real life."

Luke brushed off Calum's hand. "I'm not delusional, Calum... I thought you'd be happy I'm not cowering away in fear at the thought of interacting with him."

Calum's eyebrows shot up, "So you're actually going over there?"

Luke looked sheepish. Calum knew Luke and how jumpy the younger one has been around men since the incident. He hated throwing it in Luke's face to make a point, but he was right.

"I was, uh, kind of hoping you'd go... y'know, scope him out for me?"

"You're unbelievable." Calum huffed but knew there was no point arguing, especially when Luke was using his big blue puppy eyes. He grabbed the bag of food and walked out of the apartment.

Luke heard Calum knock next door and he began to fidget in his seat. Was this a bad idea? Should Luke have just gone over on his own? Probably. He was a coward. He heard the door to Michael's apartment open and he panicked. He couldn't listen to this. Luke scurried into his bathroom and shut the door, his heart racing. He busied himself by cleaning the sink. It had been looking a bit dingy anyways. He could still hear low murmuring, so he scrubbed harder.

Before he knew it, the front door of his apartment was closing, and he rushed into the living room.

"So? What's he like? Oh my god is he tall?"

"Luke, your gay is showing."

Luke rolled his eyes as Calum laid back down and motioned for Luke to join him.

"Whatever. So, what's he like?"

Calum nuzzled his face into the crook of Luke's neck and began kissing the warm skin. "What did you learn about him last night?"

Luke cast Calum a suspicious look before closing his eyes. "His name is Michael, he's 24, he's lived next door for like three years and he has his ears pierced! I've always loved a guy with piercings." Luke giggled as Calum playfully bit at his shoulder

"Okay, but is that all you know about him?"

"Yeah, I mean we mainly talked about books... why?" Luke was a little breathless as Calum brushed his lips over the boy's collarbone. Luke felt Calum's lips part like he was prepared to respond, but then they shut again. It was quiet as Calum brushed kisses against his pulse point.

"Just wondering."

"So, you never did tell me what he's like." Luke could practically hear Calum's eye roll.

"I don't know Luke, he was average. Kinda tall. Kinda thin. Nothing extraordinary about him. Seems dull if you ask me," Luke punched him in the arm and Calum laughed, "Sorry."

"Why is it you never have a good thing to say about the guys I like?"

Calum leaned his head against Luke's shoulder. "Because no guy is good enough for my Baby."

Luke nudged Calum with his shoulder.

"Look, if you're so interested in knowing what he's like why don't you go over there and see for yourself?"

Luke picked at a loose thread on his pants. "Alone?" The thought of what happened last time made his chest seize up. As if sensing his best friend's distress, Calum pulled Luke down so that he was laying on his chest. Luke shivered and Calum hugged him tighter.

"I'm sorry, Lu," he sighed, pressing a kiss to Luke's forehead, "that was douchey of me."

Luke couldn't talk about it anymore. All of the fun from their conversation was lost. He picked up his laptop from the floor and returned to snuggle up with Calum. He knew Calum didn't want to let the subject drop, but honestly, Luke just needed time.

"So, what movie are we watching tonight?"

After watching _Harry Met Sally_ for the millionth time, Calum kissed Luke and tucked him in. It was well after midnight but as soon as Calum left, Luke was wide awake. He couldn't stop thinking about Michael and it scared him. Calum seemed hesitant to talk about Michael and Luke wanted to know why. It wasn't out of the ordinary for Calum to find things wrong with the guys Luke was interested in, but he was usually more than happy to talk about it.

A sudden knock behind his head jerked Luke out of his thoughts and he gasped.

"Oh, gosh, I didn't mean to scare you, I'm so sorry." Michael rushed. Luke couldn't help the jittery feeling that bubbles up in his stomach.

"No, no I was just lost in my head."

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Luke pulled his knees up to his chest. "I'm sorry if Cal was an ass earlier, he comes off a bit rough around the edges."

Luke heard Michael shift around closer to the wall. "It's okay, I'd probably act the same if my boyfriend spent the night talking with some other guy."

Luke blushed, thankful that Michael couldn't see him through the wall. "Oh, no Cal's not my... I mean I _am-_ but, no."

There was a pause. "So... you're single?"

Luke's stomach twisted. He didn't know if it was in fear or excitement.

"Yeah, I am."

"Oh."

"Oh?"

"Oh."

The silence made Luke uncomfortable, so he decided to do what he knew best. He began to ramble. "Cal's my best friend, I guess sometimes he can get a little too protective. He means well, it's just after everything that happened, he feels responsible and yeah..." he trailed off, hoping Michael would have already stopped him. But it seems he'd rather listen to Luke make a fool of himself.

"What happened?"

Luke froze. "What?"

"You said he feels responsible for what happened."

"I-" Luke paused. His throat closed up and he felt the familiar pain settle in his gut. It had been months, yet Luke still had trouble talking about it. He felt weak.

"You don't have to tell me," The words rushed out and Luke could tell Michael regretted asking.

"No, it's, uh, okay," he pushed a few curls behind his ear and took a deep breath. "I was in a bad relationship for a while. Really fucked me up." It was vague, but Michael seemed to get the message.

"I'm sorry, Luke."

Luke nodded even though Michael couldn't see him. "It's ok, well, it's not. But I'm starting to be."

"I'm glad things are getting better. Is that why you moved here?"

Luke was grateful Michael wasn't walking on eggshells like people typically did once they found out. Liz had tiptoed around the subject for months afterward.

"Yeah, needed a fresh start."

"I get that. We all need to start over every once in a while."

Luke wrapped his comforter around his body. "So, have you?"

"Have I what?"

"Started over."

There was a long pause, and Luke wondered if he'd hit a nerve.

"You could say that."

He was about to ask what Michael meant when his phone rang. He glanced down at the caller I.D and swore.

 _Unknown caller_.

Luke knew it wasn't spam.

"what's wrong?"

He ended the call and closed his eyes.

"Past life always seems to come back to haunt, doesn't it?"

Once again Luke was met with silence. He could tell Michael was deep in thought.

"When I was 19, my parents and I were headed back from visiting my older sister at college,"

Luke wasn't sure where this story was headed but he could tell it took a lot of strength as he listened to Michael's voice shake.

"My mom was sleeping in the back seat and I was shotgun navigating. It was really late, and we were driving down the interstate... my dad was passing this semi in the lane next to us. We found out later the driver had been awake for almost 24 hours, so he was overtired and didn't check his blind spot... rammed into the car on my side."

Luke tensed and he leaned closer as Michael took a deep breath.

"We ended up flipping a few times... I don't remember much after that, besides waking up to darkness in the hospital. I guess the windshield shattered at some point and when the car stopped rolling, I got pinned face down against the windshield... a couple pieces of glass pierce the eyes just right and bam. Permanent blindness."

Luke gasped. Why didn't Calum mention that? He had to have known.

"I guess my point is, sometimes as hard as we try, we never completely escape our past. We just learn how to live with it."

Luke's stomach sank. Here he'd been complaining about his life when Michael was literally _blind_. He felt like such an ass.

"God, my problems seem dumb now. I'm so sorry, Michael-"

Michael cut him off with a laugh. "I didn't tell you so you'd feel sorry for me or think less of your own problems," Michael's voice softened, "I just wanted you to know that I understand. Life really fucking sucks sometimes. And if you ever need anyone to talk to... well, I'm here."

Luke's heart raced at Michael's admission. He could feel the walls he'd built up around his heart start to crumble. While it terrified him to his core, it also gave him something he'd lost long ago: hope.

"So that's why you wouldn't read to me. You're blind."

"That, and I like how you read it." Luke blushed. "I'm surprised Calum didn't mention it after he saw me, though."

"Yeah, me too," Luke pursed his lips as his phone buzzed. He had a new message from Calum. He swiped it away.

Michael cleared his throat, "So Luke, describe yourself to me."

"What?"

"Well I can't exactly see you," Michael's teasing tone made Luke smile, "So, describe yourself to me."

"Is this just a ploy to get me to tell you what I'm wearing?"

"What _are_ you wearing?"

He couldn't remember the last time anyone but Calum had made him laugh as hard. It was refreshing.

"You have a beautiful laugh."

For the millionth time since he met Michael, Luke blushed. It was all he did around the boy.

"So, um," Luke cleared his throat, "how do I, you know, describe myself?" The thought of describing his physical appearance to Michael was nerve wracking. Was he supposed to include his front canine tooth that was slightly twisted inwards? What about the acne scarring on his shoulders? Did he mention the pudge on his hips, or did he let Michael believe he was pure muscle?

Luke's anxiety peaked.

"Start with your hair. What color is it? Is it straight, curly? Thin?"

He was starting easy and Luke appreciated it. He played with the long curl that fell from his messy bun.

"Blonde, curly... falls down to my shoulders. I usually just wear it up since it gets in my face."

"You're blonde? I knew it."

Luke smiled as he cuddled into his bed. "How could you have possibly known that?"

"Well I didn't, but I kind of have a thing for blondes."

Luke blushed and hid his face in a blanket. Michael knew exactly what to say to make Luke a giggling mess.

"Oh, do you?"

"Especially when they're tall beautiful blondes with a great sense of humor."

Luke knew he was falling hard. Liam lingered in the back of his mind, but he pushed those thoughts away. Michael wasn't Liam. Michael wouldn't hurt him.

"Okay Romeo, what do I describe next?"

Luke spent the rest of his night describing himself to the blind boy on the other side of the wall, the smile never leaving his face. 


	6. love

**_Michael_ **

Michael knew it. Luke was blonde.

He pictured an angel when Luke described what he looked like, the cherub kind with dimples and rosy cheeks. The blind man guessed he wasn't too far off in his image. After Luke described himself to Michael, he'd insisted that Michael do the same because,

"It's only fair!" Michael knew with a pout that sounded that cute, he could never say no. He described himself as best as he could to Luke, reminding the blonde that he didn't know what he was wearing, but it was probably black. Luke laughed.

Michael's smile didn't falter as he listened to Luke talk. He couldn't remember the last time he'd smiled so much. It was well before his accident; he knew that much.

"Okay, okay," Michael sighed as he stopped laughing. "I give up, I suppose Juliet is dealing with the trauma from the house fire," It was ridiculous to Michael that he was arguing over his own _book,_ but he loved it. He'd never had someone challenge him like this before.

"Thank you! That's all I've been saying,"

A _thump_ vibrated the wall, and Michael laughed as Luke whispered a quiet ' _ow_ '.

"I mean, how could she not? She literally watched her father burn to death! Talk about daddy issues. No wonder she can't admit her feelings for Nathan yet. Do you think they'll work things out by the next book?"

Michael smiled at the excited hope he heard in Luke's voice.

"I don't know," Michael played with the loose string on the bottom of his sweater as he fought a smile. "We can hope."

He heard Luke sigh.

"I guess so. God, I wish I knew M.G May, I'd write her a letter and ask."

Michael snorted. "How do you know it's a she _?_ "

Luke giggled and Michael's cheeks began to hurt from smiling so much.

"I guess I don't know M.G May is a woman, I just have a feeling, I mean the way they write about love it's just..."

"Love?" Michael's eyebrows furrowed, "What love?"

"Are you kidding me?" Luke screeched, and Michael heard his bed springs squeak as he sat up.

"No? They fuck and they fight... Nothing too romantic about that. It's more tragic than anything else."

"But that's the point, isn't it?" And okay, now Michael was really confused.

"What?"

Luke sighed and shifted around on his side of the wall. "Their love is so much deeper than all the lovey dovey shit Hallmark is always trying to sell, ya'know? They don't even know they're in love because they're not supposed to be in love. They can fuck and fight all they want, because at the end of the day, they understand each other in a way no one else does."

Michael's jaw was on the floor by the time Luke finished his rant. He has really never thought about it like that before. Love had never been something Michael wanted to write about, but now he was looking at his books from a new perspective.

"Wow... if I didn't know any better, I'd say _you_ were M.G May." Michael teased and his chest tingled as Luke laughed.

"Maybe I am M.G May."

Michael snorted and laid back in his bed.

"Wouldn't that be the surprise of a lifetime, living next door to M.G May." Michael smirked knowing that Luke didn't get it.

"Oh god, I could only wish. I swear, if I ever did meet them, they'd probably think I'm some sort of obsessive freak."

Michael smiled as he pulled his sweater down over his hands.

"I think whoever they are, they'd think your obsession is cute."

"Oh please, that's such a lie!" Luke laughed and Michael couldn't help but join in. After a couple moments, Luke sighed. "Sometimes I do think about them, ya'know?"

Michael's heart skipped a beat in his chest. Luke thought about him? Well, not _him,_ but his pseudonym... it counted!

"That sounds crazy doesn't it?"

Before Michael could respond, Luke was rambling.

"I just mean, I don't know, I've been reading their books since the first came out and it's become my safe place, you know? Especially after everything I've went through the last few years. I'm just so in love with M.G May's books and I can't help but think about what they must be like." Luke sighed and he could just picture the cute blonde sitting cross-legged on the other side of the wall.

"Calum thinks it's dumb I have a crush on someone I don't know... but I feel like I already know them through their writing and I just fall more and more in love with each book..."

Michael heard the hesitation in his voice, even if it was blocked out by the pounding of Michael's heart. The fluttering feeling in Michael's stomach was something he'd never experienced before. It was terrifying and exciting all at once.

"You probably think it's stupid," Luke sighed, and Michael realized he'd been so lost in his thoughts of Luke that he forgot to respond.

"No!" Michael cleared his throat, "I-I mean, no I... I get it."

It was quiet across the wall.

"So, you don't think I'm crazy for being in love with some random famous person?"

Michael could have snorted. Famous? That was a first. Sure, Michael had a small cult following on the internet, but _famous?_ That was a title reserved for the Fitzgerald's and Tolkien's of the world. Michael had three books in the back corner of the mystery section at Barnes N' Noble.

"I'm really in no position to judge."

"Oh yeah? You in love?"

Michael knew Luke was teasing, but he also, just maybe, sounded interested? It was Michael's turn to shrug.

"I never thought of it as a possibility," Michael picked at the hangnail on his thumb. He had no idea what made him open up to Luke so easily. It had taken him over a year with a certified therapist to get this far.

"I guess after my accident I just resigned myself to being alone, it was easy."

It was quiet for a moment. Michael loved how Luke took to process and think before speaking.

"It might be easy, but that doesn't mean it will make you happy... You deserve to be happy, Michael."

Michael took in a shaky breath as his heart pumped erratically.

"But you don't really know me. What if I'm a convicted killer or something."

He always had to ease the tension in a room, now was no exception.

Luke laughed and it brought a smile to Michael's face. His face was beginning to hurt from all the smiling he'd been doing since he met Luke.

"You could be... But I like to think I know you pretty well, and you don't seem like the murderous type to me."

Michael smiled.

"Oh yeah? And how do I come across to you?"

Luke paused again to think.

"Genuine."

Michael liked that answer.

"So, tell me something about you, Luke"

"Like what?" He could hear the smile in the blonde's voice, and it was contagious.

"I don't know," Michael sighed, pulling his blankets up around his body, "tell me something real. Something I wouldn't know by looking at you."

There was a long pause and Michael began to wonder if Luke had fallen asleep.

"I was put in foster care when I was 15."

He hasn't expected that.

"My birth mom was extremely bipolar and never took her meds." Michael heard Luke clear his throat awkwardly and knew he must not tell this story often. "Anyways, she worked as an escort down off 46th street in Fuller Park when she wasn't running off during a manic episode. We were doing okay for a while, but then she left, and I thought it was just another one or two weeklong thing, ya'know? But she never came back."

Michael's heart ached for the blonde boy sitting on the other side of the wall. He couldn't imagine, only 15 years old and waiting for his mom to come home.

"CPS picked me up about two months later after a tip off from one of my teachers. At first, I was pissed because I thought I could do it on my own. I was a determined little shit," He forced out a laugh. "I was already so used to being the adult in my house that I figured being completely on my own would be okay... but looking back on it, I'm really glad she did what she did because otherwise I wouldn't have met Liz and Andrew, my foster parents."

Michael could hear the smile in Luke's voice and his own lips quirked up.

"I honestly don't think I'd be alive today if it wasn't for them. So... yeah."

His heart bled for the boy next door. He wanted to reach out and wrap his arms around him.

"The only people that know the full story is Cal and my parents... and now you."

Michael's breath caught in his throat.

"W-why did you tell me then?"

"Because I trust you."

Michael pressed himself closer against the wall. His heart beat wildly in his chest as he worked up the courage to ask what was on his mind.

"Luke," he took a deep breath. The question was on the tip of his tongue. "Would you like to grab a cup of coffee sometime?"

He heard a sharp inhale of breath. He shouldn't have asked. He should have kept his mouth shut.

"Like... a date?"

Luke's voice was guarded. Michael couldn't tell what he was thinking. Michael's heart was hammering in his chest.

"I... if you want?" If it wasn't obvious, he'd never done this before. He had no idea how to ask as boy on a date and he was sure he was making a fool of himself.

"I..."

Michael held his breath as he awaited Luke's response.

"how does six on Friday sound?"


	7. past

**_Luke_ **

By 7 am on Friday Luke knew it just wasn't going to be his day. Not only did his alarm fail to go off on time, but then the hot water went out and left him with stringy, conditioner-soaked hair. Luke cursed as he tried to pull it back into a semi-presentable bun, but it wasn't any use. No matter how he styled it, he looked like he dipped his head in a vat of grease.

"I can't win, can I?" Luke groaned as he turned on the sink and stuck his head under the cold water. He knew it would make him late for work, but he didn't have much of a choice. After managing to tame his hair, he realized he was five minutes late for the train and would have to run to make it on time. Luke rushed around his apartment, gathering up his wallet, shoes and backpack. He fumbled his phone as it began to ring, and it fell to the ground with a loud _thud._

"Can't catch a fucking break." He groaned, picking it up to see a few small cracks in the corner. Luke didn't have time to dwell on it though. He was now running 10 minutes behind. He barreled out the door and took the steps two at a time.

Luke's phone began to ring again, and he clicked 'answer' without a second thought.

"Hello?" Luke hopped along on one foot as he attempted to tie his shoe.

"Hi, Baby."

Luke's blood ran cold and he wished he'd checked the caller I.D. He ended the call with shaky fingers. Before he could even return his phone to his pocket, it rang again. Against his better judgement, he answered.

"Liam, Stop calling me-"

" _Tsk, tsk,_ Sweetheart. It's rude to hang up on your boyfriend, ya'know?"

He could hear the smirk in Liam's voice, and he clenched his jaw.

"You're not my boyfriend." Luke was proud that his voice didn't waiver.

"You know I always loved when you played hard to get."

Luke bit at his thumbnail as he sped walked down the street. He didn't think his day could get any worse than it already was, but he stood corrected as the voice on the other end laughed.

"Fuck you." He hung up before Liam could respond and turned his phone off. The beginnings of a headache pulled at Luke's temples, and he wanted to scream. It was barely past 8am and he already wanted to give up. He knew Calum was right; he should have changed his number long ago but getting a new phone cost money. Money that Luke couldn't afford to part with right now.

Calum had already blocked Liam's number on Luke's phone, but it didn't stop Liam from finding ways around it. Luke was about at his wits end. He knew he'd have to tell Calum about this. He hated burdening his best friend with his troubles, no matter how many times Calum told him it wasn't one. Luke was an adult for god's sakes, he should be able to fight his own battles. He knew when it came to Liam, however, he would always lose the war.

All Luke could hope for was that Liam would keep his distance.

By the time Luke arrived at the spa, he was running nearly 15 minutes behind and was visibly shaking. Between the late start to the day and the phone call, Luke was a mess. He felt like a house of cards one gust of wind away from toppling over.

"Good morning, Sweets." Lauraline's smile morphed to concern as she took in Luke's distress. "What's got you worked up so early?"

"Just not my day, I guess. Sorry I'm late, Ma." Luke threw himself down in his chair. His backpack slumped to the floor and he kicked it under the desk. He could feel the tears welling up in his eyes and he forced them away with a shaky breath.

"Oh baby," She sighed, taking a seat on the edge of his desk and running her fingers through his damp hair. "You gonna be alright today?" He knew she could feel the way his muscles shook under her hand. He could just imagine the look she was giving him.

Luke's shoulders twitched in a shrug. "Yeah, just need a minute."

Lauraline patted his back and stood up. "Okay, Baby. You take a couple minutes to collect yourself, but if you need to take the day, let me know."

Luke wanted to take her up on the offer. He so wanted to run back home and break down in peace, but he couldn't afford it.

"I'll be okay, thanks Ma." He leaned back in his chair and let his hands run over his face. Lauraline made her way back around his desk and handed him a file.

"Alright, Sweets. But you let me know if you're not, okay?"

Luke nodded as he took the file from her and booted up the computer. "Yeah," He glanced at the note on top of the file and groaned. "Mrs. Kria is coming in today?"

Lauraline looked apologetic as she disappeared into the back. Luke threw his head down, letting it bounce off of the wooden desk. "Just my fucking luck."

When Luke walked out of the spa nearly six hours later, his body sagged in relief. Having to keep a smile on his face all day despite the verbal abuse thrown at him was draining. Luke was glad to have left when he did, tears burning glossy behind his eyelids the moment the doors closed.

He began the journey home, opting to walk instead of taking the train. The sky was dark with rainclouds, and the first big droplets began to fall. It was the icing on top of his horrible day.

It was nearing five o'clock by the time Luke made it home, and he only had an hour to prepare for his date with Michael. The thought of getting to sit down face to face with Michael was enough to bring a smile to Luke's face for the first time today. Suddenly Luke's day was starting to look up.

He pulled his phone out of his backpack and turned it on as he neared his apartment complex. One missed call from Liz and three unread messages from Calum. He was just about to read the messages from Calum when another unread one caught his attention. Assuming it was Michael, he clicked on it.

_From: unknown_

_I'll see you soon, Sweetheart. -Liam_

Just as quickly as Luke's mood lifted, it came crashing down. Luke's fingers shook as he deleted the message and blocked the number. He didn't know how much longer he could keep this up. He needed to talk to Calum, and soon. Locking his phone and stuffing it in his pocket, Luke dragged himself up the stairs towards his apartment. When Luke neared his door, however, he froze. It was cracked open and light shone from inside.

Luke quickly decided this was the worst day of his life.

With hesitant steps, he crept towards the door, pushing it open. Something felt off. Like when you can feel someone watching you even when you can't see them. Luke wasn't alone and he knew it.

The sweat beaded the back of his neck as he crept forward, staying light on his feet as he crossed the threshold. His heart jackhammered so hard Luke worried it might crack a couple ribs. He could hear the blood whooshing in his ears and his hands shook so bad he almost dropped his phone. His finger hesitated over the 'call' button, 9-1-1 already dialed. A million thoughts ran through his head, all of them revolving around the possibility that Liam's text was right, he'd _found him._

He held his breath as the floorboard creaked under his foot.

"Luke?"

Just as quickly as the adrenaline spiked in his veins, it fell away.

"Luke? You home?"

His best friend's voice carried from the kitchen and all Luke could do was fall to the floor.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Calum asked in alarm as he exited the kitchen to find Luke catatonic. Luke dropped his head into his hands, folding in on himself.

"Baby, what's wrong?" Calum fell to his knees and engulfed the blonde in his arms. Luke just shook his head. He couldn't answer. All he could do was climb into Calum's lap and bury his head into his best friend's chest. Calum rocked Luke back and forth as he consoled him, trying to calm him down before he had a panic attack.

Luke wasn't sure how long he sat there, willing himself not to cry. Eventually his breaths evened out.

"You ready to tell me why you're all worked up?" Calum's soft voice spoke in Luke's ear, and he shivered as lips touched his skin.

Luke shook his head and buried his face further in Calum's neck. The Maori boy sighed as he tightened his grip on Luke.

"That's okay. How 'bout some dinner? I made your favorite."

"You didn't have to do that." The words were barely heard around Calum's tee shirt.

"C'mon, the potatoes should be done by now."

Calum stood and pulled Luke up with him, pressing a kiss to his forehead.

"Sit, Lu." Calum guided Luke into the kitchen and busied himself at the stove. "So, it's been a rough day, huh?"

"More like the worst day of my life."

"Worse than the day my mom took us to the zoo and that llama spit in your eye?"

Luke couldn't help but laugh. Calum had always been able to do that, make him laugh even when it was the last thing he wanted to do. His giggles died away when Calum put a plate of meatloaf and mashed potatoes in front of him.

"I love you, Cal."

"Love you too, Lu." Calum squeezed Luke's hand and the two friends began to eat. They ate in record time, and when they were done, Luke offered to do the dishes. He filled the basin with hot, soapy water.

"So, you wanna tell me what had you on the brink of a mental breakdown before you even stepped foot in the living room?"

Luke's shoulders slumped as he worked on cleaning a pot. "Just had a bad day s'all."

A pair of arms wrapped around his waist. "You sure that's all it is?"

Luke dropped the pot back into the sudsy water and leaned against the sink.

"Liam called again."

Luke felt Calum's arms tighten around his waist and he winced. The silence rang heavy between them and Luke turned in his best friend's arms. He leaned in so that their foreheads pressed together. Calum's eyes were dark, the pupils blown wide.

"What did he say to you?" Calum's warm breath washed across his face and he closed his eyes.

"Nothing that I can't handle."

Calum's hands tightened on his waist. "Don't lie to me, Lu."

Luke sighed, dropping his hands from around Calum's neck.

"Cal, I-" Luke swallowed around a dry throat, "I'm scared." The knot in Luke's throat threatened to give way and he forced the tears away.

"Lu, Baby, we need to go to the police."

Luke shook his head. "You know they won't do anything, Cal. They won't do shit till he kills me."

A growl ripped from deep in Calum's throat and he tore away from Luke, stalking across the room. "Don't fucking say that."

Luke slumped down in the nearest chair. "You know I'm right. All they did last time was hold him a couple days! And that cost me a broken collar bone. They can't do anything until it's too late, Cal." Luke wiped at his eyes. "I-I thought today was that day, ya'know? I was having such a god-awful day and, and w-when I came home and the door was open, I-I thought, I-" Luke's words choked up, and he let his body fall limp against the table.

"Hey, Lu," Calum dropped down to the floor and laid his head in Luke's lap. "I didn't mean to scare you, you didn't respond to any of my messages, so I thought I'd stop by and check on you, I just-." Calum grabbed Luke's hand and intertwined their fingers. "I'm sorry I scared you, Baby."

"S'not your fault." Luke took a deep breath and smiled. "Thanks for making dinner, Cal."

"I'm sorry you had a shit day," Calum rubbed his cheek against Luke's jean clad thigh, "why don't you go take a hot shower and I'll make up your bed?" Calum patted Luke's thigh as he made his way towards the pull-out couch. The vent next to Calum's leg caught Luke's eye and he gasped.

"Cal, what time is it?"

"Quarter to six... why?"

Luke's eyes bugged out as he rushed around his apartment. "Shit, my date!"

"Excuse me, your _what_?" Calum didn't even attempt to mask the anger in his voice, but Luke didn't have the time to address it. He'd been so caught up in the accumulation of his bad day that he nearly forgot about his date with Michael. He stripped out of his work clothes and threw on a white cable knit sweater with jeans and a raincoat.

"I almost forgot I'm supposed to meet Michael at Starbucks in 15 minutes! Fuck, where's my other shoe?"

"are you shitting me? You're going out with _Michael_? Were you gonna tell me?"

Luke hopped around on one foot as he laced up his high top. "Of course, I was going to tell you, Cal," he raced into the bathroom and splashed water on his face, "it just slipped my mind."

" _Slipped your mind?_ Luke, you haven't gone anywhere alone in months! You can't even open your goddamn door by yourself and now you're going on a _date_? That kinda thing doesn't just slip your mind." Luke felt a twinge of guilt at Calum's hurt expression. He knows he should have told Calum, but he was afraid of what he would say.

After agreeing to go out with Michael, Luke hadn't slept the rest of the night. He went to work an exhausted mess, his head full as he weighed the pros and cons. He almost canceled on Michael multiple times. Luke was scared, but a larger part of him was excited. He really liked Michael, and for the first time in forever, Luke _wanted_ to go on a date.

"I'm sorry, Cal," Luke tried to hug him, but Calum brushed him off. To say Luke was hurt would be an understatement. Calum has never pushed him away before.

"Whatever. Better get going, don't want to be late for your _date_." Calum's words were bitter, and as much as Luke wanted to talk about it, he couldn't keep Michael waiting.

"I'll be back by nine... will you be here?" Luke reached for Calum's hand and the Maori boy let him intertwine their fingers. A sigh fell from Calum's lips and the fire behind his eyes fizzled out. He looked from their hands back to Luke.

"Yeah, I'll be here."

Luke beamed as he pressed a kiss to Calum's cheek. "Wish me luck."

Calum was silent as Luke grabbed his wallet and ran out the door. He checked his phone. Ten minutes. Luke rushed out of the building, pulling up his hood as the rain poured down on him. The Starbucks was only two blocks, but Luke still picked up the pace as he weaved through sidewalk traffic.

Nerves built up in Luke's stomach as he neared the shop, and he stuffed his hands in his pockets to stop the shaking. It had been so long since Luke had been on a date. What if he said something wrong? What if he spilled his coffee? So many worst-case scenarios ran through his head.

Luke could feel the panic rise in his chest. His legs felt like jello. He needed to sit down. Luke found a cozy two-person table next to the door and took a seat. His phone buzzed in his pocket and he pulled it out. It was Michael. He was running a couple minutes behind. Luke texted him back, letting him know it was okay and he had a table near the door. He smiled as Michael texted back a string of stupid emoticons almost immediately.

Luke's nerves melted away as he waited. He checked in on the latest M.G May chat room gossip and texted his mom. His terrible day fell to the back of his mind until a body slid into the seat across from him.

"Hey Michael, I'm so glad to finally-" The words stopped dead on Luke's tongue as he looked up. The color drained from his face. His hair was a bit longer than Luke remembered, but other than that he looked exactly the same. Dark eyes humorless and lips turned up in his signature smirk. It was as if all of Luke's nightmares culminated in this moment.

"Long time no see, _Sweetheart."_


End file.
